'VERY EMOTIONAL': Shelbyville firefighters decorate home of child battling serious illness

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Some Shelbyville firefighters recently lit up the night to bring some holiday joy to a boy fighting for his life.

DJ Ledford is a little boy who is battling a rare illness called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which has no cure.

"It affects the muscles: your heart, your lungs, all your muscles," said Regina Walker, DJ's grandmother. "He doesn't have dystrophin, which the more muscles he uses the more muscles he loses."

His one wish was to have his home decorated with Christmas lights this year, but his family didn't have the financial resources to make it happen. You would expect a kid to ask for a list of toys for Christmas, but instead of toys, DJ told his grandmother he wanted lights strung on their house.

"Because I want Santa Clause to see me," the 7-year-old said.

So when firefighters found out what was going on, they were more than willing to don their helmets and make DJ's dream come true.

"This is what the true meaning of Christmas is about -- and that is helping others when they need it," said Rob Rothenburger, chief of Shelbyville Fire & Rescue.

Firefighters called the boy's grandmother and told her they were on their way to their Juniper Drive home with the lights. Pictures posted on the official Shelbyville Fire & Rescue Facebook page show what happened next. Firefighters decorated the home and even raised the firetruck bucket to give a delighted DJ a fist-bump at his upstairs bedroom window.

"I cried, because he was so excited," Walker said. "The look on his face -- I could see it in his eyes."

Then, a special moment was captured on camera. A picture of DJ sharing a hug with Fire Capt. Carlton Holbert.

"He was overjoyed just to have lights on his house," Rothenburger said.

DJ even got to see the view from the top of the fire truck. With his grandmother's permission, firefighters raised him to the top of the truck to let him take in the decorations.